Strazzate Lucane · Strazzate
Basilicata · dolce · serves 18 · 60 min total · easy
Lucanian Christmas cookies — 'torn-apart' biscuits because they're roughly pinched, never rolled. The cocoa and almond pair is the Basilicata signature.
Ingredients
- 300 g whole almonds, toasted
- 250 g '00' flour
- 250 g sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 80 ml Strega liqueur (or amaretto)
- 80 ml warm milk
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 orange orange zest
Method
- Roughly chop the toasted almonds.
- Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, zest in a bowl. Fold in chopped almonds.
- Add olive oil, milk, Strega. Knead to a dense, sticky dough.
- Pinch off lumps the size of a walnut, lay on a parchment-lined tray. Don't shape them — strazzate means 'torn-apart'.
- Bake at 170°C (340°F) for 25–30 minutes — outside dry, inside slightly chewy.
- Cool fully. Keep in a tin.